historical context of these founding documents into account, and we
should not be afraid to criticise
the historical relevance
of those
My
My question is to the Minister of Internal
My question is to the Minister of
all her statements around the Government
Government inquiry into the appointment of the Deputy
Commissioner
appointment of the Deputy
Yes,
Yes, with the context and intent they were made. Why did she say in
question
they were made. Why did she say in
Cabinet did not appoint me as the Minister to appoint the Chair.
When the Cabinet minute publicly
available on the Dept of
Internal Affairs' website notes
at paragraph 3 that the Minister of Internal
Affairs will be the appointing
Minister for the inquiry, and
the gazette notice appointing
the inquiry member is
gazette notice appointing the
want to really thank the member for this opportunity to clarify
these highly technical
highly technical details.
Yesterday the member asked me when Cabinet appointed her to oversee the
Government inquiry into the
appointment process for a deputy
Commissioner of police, and I refer
to bullet point 3 of the Cabinet
paper, which he is referring to. I
believe he's
paper, which he is referring to. I
principal to appoint me as the Minister of Internal Affairs as the
appointing Minister for the inquiry,
and that the Dept of Internal
Affairs
Affairs provided administrative support to the
Affairs provided administrative
is somewhat confusing is the fact, as the Minister of Internal Affairs,
internal affairs is the default department with regard to inquiries.
The concept of the appointing
I'm trying to help the member, Mr Speaker.
I'm trying to help the member, Mr
I don't know if he wants the answer or not. It is a technical term
meaning that I am the minister who
confirms the appointment by
way of a notice in the gazette. This is the
final technical step in a process
that begins with Cabinet deciding to
establish an inquiry. To be
clear, my role, as appointing
minister, does not in any way mean that
I personally or unilaterally create an
inquiry or appoint its
chair or membership. It is a formal
role that confirms and carries out
the will of Cabinet.
confirms and carries out the will of
Why did Cabinet make her the appointing minister for the
Government inquiry into
the appointment
appointment of the Deputy Commissioner of Police when the
Minister of Internal Affairs has
never been an appointing
Minister for any Government inquiry under the
go and check and verify that, actually.
go and check and verify that,
Because I would have to go and check the statement made by
that minister, because that is not the advice that
I have received.
because that is not the advice that
The Rt Hon Winston Peters. Can I ask the minister, in an endeavour to
clear up any misunderstands on what
is a technical matter, will she use
all medium, including
It's a perfectly valid question. I'm trying to be helpful to the
House and to the member asking the
question to clarify the separation
of duties that are made around the
Minister of Internal
Affairs, the process by which inquiries are set
up, because it's very, very
important for the public of New
Zealand to understand that
no single minister of a Crown has
the ability to hand pick as the particular
member has put out in
press releases anybody to do with an inquiry.
It is a process that is very important,
that it is upheld.
a process that is very important, that it is upheld. Why did she say
the Cabinet makes
the overarching appointment and decision
about any chair in relation to the
inquiry when she is the appointing
minister for the inquiry and
appointed the member to conduct the
for the inquiry and appointed the
going to have to refer back to the original
going to have to refer back to the
think the member is confused about a word
think the member is confused about a
confused! That technical term means that I independently... Order! It
does appear to me that some members
are not entirely aware of
Cabinet processes and responsibilities. The
Minister is trying, I think it's
fair to say, in a fairly complex
manner to explain to the House. It
is not helped by people who
have been closer to
that position interjecting. Tracey Martin. What
I'm trying to express is that at no
time have I personally been
unilaterally been able to select any members or appoint any
chairs. That is a decision of cab in the. The
appointing Minister, which is
a technical term, is around making
sure that the decisions of Cabinet
have been gazetted, that
sure that the decisions of Cabinet
decisions of Cabinet have been followed through with regard
to report back. So, I
answered the question yesterday with as much
clarity as I could
when the answers were about
clarity as I could when the answers
appointing me to oversee the inquiry. I will not be
overseeing the inquiry. I'm just the
Minister of Internal Affairs. Then he asked
me also when... Order! I
think that's
me also when... Order! I think
Cabinet appointed her as the sole appointing minister for the
Government inquiry into the
appointment of the Deputy
appointed the inquiry member from a short list of at least five names,
the gazette notice appointing the
member is in her name and her name
only, and that the
Minister of Internal Affairs has never been
an appointing minister for any inquiry
under the
appointing minister for any inquiry
member may answer any of those supplementary questions. To
answer to the
supplementary questions. To answer
conversations and there were three ministers delegated to
make the decisions. To the last
sorry, there was a lot of them in there
sorry, there was a lot of them in
cannot confirm that either. To the
Minister of Internal Affairs...
the gazette. It is my responsibility toga
the gazette. It is my responsibility
decision of Cabinet That's right! I forget
forget the second question.
My
My question is to the Minister of
public take from the view of the National Bowel
National Bowel Screening Programme that was
National Bowel Screening Programme
The
The review of the National Bowel Screening Programme confirmed the
safety and value of the
programme. The review found